Senate blocks a GOP-led effort to scuttle curbs on mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants. The rejection of the resolution by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., staves off what would have been a stinging election-year rebuke of the White House green agenda. Five Republicans joined 48 Democrats in blocking Inhofe’s measure. It was intended to overturn Environmental Protection Agency regulations to curb toxic emissions that coal industry groups and other critics contend will hurt the economy, cause power costs to spike and force numerous power plants to shutter. The EPA estimates that the landmark air toxics rules will prevent 11,000 premature deaths a year, along with other health benefits. The Hill
Three years after deadly D.C. train crash, safety improvements lag. The 2009 collision of two Washington Metro trains caused nine deaths and 80 injuries, prompting calls for safety reform in America’s public transit systems. In Washington, the country’s second-largest public transit agency has worked to bolster safety, but financial hurdles and oversight confusion have slowed efforts. Nationally, oversight of the nation’s buses, subways and trains remains fragmented and underfunded. The Senate version of a pending transportation bill would place public transit systems under federal oversight, but with House and Senate negotiators far from compromise, many predict the current situation will continue. Politico
1.5 million children are in imminent danger of starvation in West Africa. That assessment, from the United Nations Children’s Fund, comes as world leaders gather for the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development. Aid workers warned there are only four weeks to treat the effects of acute hunger before the rainy season makes inaccessible huge swathes of the Sahel region, which stretches from Senegal to Chad. “What you’re looking at are communities across wide areas that need assistance because, despite best efforts, they have been pushed off their ability to cope,” a UN spokeswoman said. NBC News
Reinstatement ordered for fired coal mine safety whistleblower. A federal administrative law judge found that the Kentucky miner and well-known safety advocate, Charles Scott Howard, 52, was subjected to “blatant discrimination” for complaining about hazards. The judge ruled that Howard’s employer, Cumberland River Coal, a subsidiary of Arch Coal, should reinstate the miner as a full-time employee and pay $30,000 in penalties for firing him last year. Howard testified before Congress in 2007 on mine-safety issues and later that year made a videotape of leaking seals at the mine where he was working. In the following years, Howard filed safety complaints and inspection requests with federal regulators about other hazards. Howard suffered a head injury on the job in 2010 but, soon after he was cleared by doctors to return to work, the company fired him. The (Louisville) Courier-Journal, The Associated Press
Job safety fines of $60,900 proposed for general contractor on Rhode Island bridge project. S&R/Pihl LLC was accused by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration of two offenses, including a willful violation, the agency’s most serious charge. OSHA said the contractor lacked procedures and equipment that would be required in an emergency to rescue employees working at heights of up to 90 feet. “Despite being informed of this requirement, S&R/Pihl has thus far refused to take steps to abate this hazard to its employees,” an OSHA official said. The contractor is managing construction on the Pawtucket River Bridge in Pawtucket, R.I. OSHA, The Providence Journal
Pizza chains seek relief from calorie disclosure requirements. A coalition including Domino’s, Papa John’s, Little Caesars, Godfather’s Pizza and Pizza Hut is telling Congress that a proposed menu labeling plan is impractical for their businesses. They note that calories vary depending on a pizza’s toppings, crust and size, making it a challenge to put all of the potentially required information on a menu board. Also, the coalition says, consumers generally wouldn’t see the calorie figures on menu boards because most orders are placed online or by phone. To combat obesity, Congress required menu labeling under the health-care reform law enacted in 2010, and regulators are still working on the details. The Washington Post
Recalls: BMW X5 and X6 sport utility vehicles, Mercedes-Benz E350 sedans, EDIC air movers/blowers, Big Lots portable ceramic space heaters, Euphoria Fancy Food dried bream
Compiled by Stuart Silverstein and Bridget Huber
